Quality vs. Quantity

“The difference between style and fashion is quality”

Armani

If your budget is tight, and you want to redesign a room/rooms in your home, remember to keep in mind that what might seem like a bargain now, might cost you a lot more in the long-run. Rather wait a bit and buy good quality homeware.

If you have to replace furniture, whether it be a sofa, chair or ottoman, every two or three years  because the item has deteriorated badly because of fabric or workmanship being of poor quality, you will end up spending a fortune unnecessarily.

When buying furniture, always ask what kind of wood the base is made from and how strong the fabric is. Good quality furniture is usually made with very hard wood as a base. There is a reason why certain sofas are a bit more expensive than others.

If you save up for a few extra months you can buy items that you know will last a lifetime. It is after all preferable to only have to think about re-upholstering a sofa after ten years of using it, and then only because you are tired of the fabric, rather than having to buy a new sofa every two years because it was poorly made.

Success through period furniture

“I never think that sticking slavishly to one period is successful, a touch of nostalgia adds charm. One needs light and shade because if every piece is perfect the room becomes a museum and lifeless.” 

Nancy Lancaster

The most successful homes are a mix of different styles and period furniture. When you look at a very modern home it looks beautiful as is, but add an antique armoire and immediately it gets personality.

It also makes a massive change to any space by adding something from a different period or simply a different style. If your home is very traditional, with swags and tails, add a modern standing lamp or an over-dramatic gilded mirror. This will add interest to the room, and it will feel new and fresh.

I like adding traditional French chandeliers to modern homes. It looks magnificent and creates interest.

So if your home is stuck in a particular period or style, go out and add something from a different period or a different style, and you will not believe the change it will create!

Liven up your Living room

“The living room should be a place where we feel totally at ease - temple of the soul.” 

 Terence Conran

When considering furniture for your living room it is important to keep in mind that this is where you probably spend most of your time at home. Make sure you have furniture that you can be comfortable on.

It is horrible to walk into a living room and be too scared to sit because it looks uninviting. This must be a tranquil space where you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee with friends after a dinner party or where you can just sit down to unwind after a hectic day. Make sure that you have an ottoman to put your feet up and include large soft cushions to rest your arms on.

If you have children or dogs, then have the sofas upholstered in a fabric that is easily cleanable.

The main focus is comfort. Make sure that you have a sofa that is aesthetically pleasing, as well as inviting to your friends and yourself.

Embrace your darker side

“Always make a dark room darker. You can paint a dark room white, but it will still be dark...give it atmosphere with deep intense colour that works well in artificial light.”

Roger Banks-Pye

People always try to make dark rooms lighter, for some odd reason. Don’t. With a dark room it is so easy to create a luxurious atmosphere. Add dark, textured fabrics like velvets and the room will still be dark, but the velvet plays with light, which gives a magnificent ambience to the room.

Dark rooms can and should be welcoming, especially when velvets are involved. I have never had a client that could resist touching a velvet when I show it to them. For curtains, you can choose a deep-coloured silk, which also plays with light.

Colour is also very easy to use in dark rooms, as the darkness gives it a different richness than it would have in a room with plenty of natural light.

It is, however, very important to have the right amount of table and standing lamps in a dark room. Always bear in mind the atmosphere of the specific room, so don’t use an offensive amount of light in a dark room, try and create mood lighting with a standing lamp that can be dimmed, or a table lamp with only one globe.

Work with what you have to create a luxurious and soothing dark room.

Bedroom basics

“Don't buy a bedroom suite, but collect your pieces separately - generally cheaper and always the decorator's way of furnishing.”

Dorothy Draper

A bedroom can look very contrived by just buying a simple bedroom suite. And that is the last thing you want your bedroom to be. Your bedroom should be the most comfortable and relaxing room in your house, as this is a room that is only yours.

Have a headboard made in fabric that you love, or instead of a headboard buy a roll of wallpaper and wallpaper a panel on the wall as a headboard. Buy bedside tables that are functional and beautiful, they don’t even have to be the same, and the same goes for bedside lamps. Think less about the room’s symmetry and more about your relaxation and comfort. Simply put, the bedroom is all about you.

If the room has enough space, create a seating area where you and your partner can enjoy your morning coffee or a glass of wine after a hard day’s work.

Scatter cushions on a bed look beautiful, but there is always an issue when it comes to storing them. A simple solution is to have a bed-end ottoman that can function as a place to sit on or as storage for cushions and bedspreads.

To conclude, you must walk into your bedroom and forget about all the worries of the day and enjoy your time relaxing in your own personalised space.

Personality through accessorising

“All the necessary elements of a room should not arrive on installation day. Rooms should always be left for the things we will acquire...the objects we cannot live without.” 

 Charlotte Moss

Accessories, I can almost say, is the single most important item to make your home your own. I don’t like quoting my clients on accessories as I believe it is too personal. I like making a date with my clients and going shopping with them for accessories.

Accessories should speak to you in some way, it should say something about your personality but most of all it should be something that attracts you.

Don’t be too hasty when you acquire accessories either, you can spend a lifetime collecting accessories and at the end that is what makes your home personal. It is also so much fun when you are travelling and you find something that you love and you know exactly where you want to use it.

So, if you want your home to be more your own don’t try to fill all the spaces as soon as you can, take your time and you will be amazed at the outcome!